40 SALMON FISHING 



excessive drought. Mr. Grimble's theory, however, 

 was perfectly true as regards many rivers of the third 

 class. As the streams rise and fall the salmon do 

 undoubtedly move up and down. Now, what are 

 these streams ? The class includes a few in the West 

 of England, a few in Wales, and nearly the whole of 

 the salmon rivers in the West of Scotland. As to 

 the variability of their volumes there cannot be any 

 doubt. One of the best of them, the Add, in 

 Argyllshire, has been described by Mr. A. E. 

 Gathorne Hardy as "just an ordinary type of West 

 Highland stream, only fishable with any prospect 

 of success immediately after a spate," and "hardly 

 in fishing order for more than a couple of hours." 



What are we to think of any theory about the 

 habits of the salmon that leaves out of account the 

 fish of these streams of the third class ? Excepting 

 the particular tribe mentioned by Mr. Grimble, which 

 are off-colour now and then, they are not in any 

 respect degraded fish. They are as distinctly salmon 

 as those of any great river from the Exe to the 

 Thurso. All who are acquainted with them know 

 that they come freely at flies or other lures whenever 

 there is a flood, and as long as the water is high 

 enough to make retreat towards the sea unnecessary. 

 As it is admitted that in doing so, after a fatiguing 

 run, they mean to eat the things they seize, this is 

 practically equivalent to saying that they feed at all 

 times when in the streams. 



It is more difficult to have an equally confident 

 opinion about the salmon of the great rivers. Their 



